The Bigger Monster
by hopefulfeathers
Summary: Animal trainer Robin Locksley and CEO Regina Mills must set aside their differences, a past full of aching regret, and come together to save their sons when danger befalls the infamous Jurassic World park. Lost amidst the chaos of ravaging dinosaurs and those seeking both power and revenge, the pair must fight for the safety of their sons as well as their own ((OQ JURASSIC AU))
1. Chapter 1

**Hello guys! After seeing the incredible Jurassic World: The Fallen Kingdom film, and after a few very successful Jurassic OQ photo manipulations posted on Twitter (many thanks to you guys who supported the idea), I have decided to write my very own OQ Jurassic World AU!**

 **Few notes before we begin, as you all know, I don't take credit for any of the aspects of this AU taken right from the movie (Jurassic World) and tv show (Once Upon a Time) such as all of the characters including the dinosaurs. I also don't take credit for the basic premise of this AU, which loosely follows the plot of the first Jurassic World film, though I hope I do it justice. Also, I apologize for any minor inconsistencies of any of the technical aspects of how Jurassic park is run (security systems, etc.), for sometimes I may have to tweak stuff to fit with the plot of this story.**

 **With that out of the way, I hope you all enjoy! This is the first in what I plan to be a short mini fic! Happy reading, and please let me know what you guys think!**

* * *

" _Good morning, this is Sydney Glass reporting live from ABC studios where we begin our news with the latest update on the world's leading company in biological science, technology, and genetics. Just three years ago, with the use of innovative procedures regarding genetic mixing, globally renowned International Genetic Technologies gave rise to a new brand of dinosaur species. From cutting edge research lead by the highly esteemed Dr. Gold, this worldwide phenomena of genetically enhanced hybrids, designs using DNA of various dinosaur species along with the DNA of modern animals, has culminated into one single masterpiece: the Indominus Rex. Now just well on into its adolescence, this new fearsome creature is set to make its official debut. We now go live to our correspondent, Leroy Grump for details."_

 _"…Yeah, I'm here standing right in front of Paddock 11 at the Jurassic World park, at what is the actual enclosure in which this newly designed Indominus Rex is held. As you can see behind me the outer walls, made of solid steel and titanium, had to be built even higher to accommodate for the asset's incredible size. Fully equipped with thermal cameras for safety, the paddock has been approved by the ACU, that is, the Asset Containment Unit, and is set to open to the public for the first time ever in just five days' time. So, if you're into seeing an abnormally sized T-Rex tear a lamb from limb to limb, you can now safely do so behind the enclosure's shatterproof glass in just five days. Tickets are on sale now. Now back to you, Sidney."_

 _"…Thanks, Leroy. As you know, Jurassic World has been honored as one of the world's greatest attractions for ten years now, receiving just about twenty thousand visitors a day. CEO Regina Mills surely is absolutely thrilled to see her park thrive as online ticket sales skyrocket just a day after the park's official announcement. Her father, late great Henry Mills, must be very proud, as his vision of innovation for his beloved park about three decades ago is finally coming to pass._

 _We're now going to take quick break before we carry on with other news. Next up is a story of—"_

Robin Locksley rolls his eyes, the atmosphere of his cosy living room abruptly falling silent as he presses the power button on his television's remote control. With a heavy, exasperated sigh, the blonde shrugs on his hooded jacket and stoops down to begin tying the thick laces of his combat boots. Oh, how he wanted to warn them. For the few months leading up to the egg's creation, Robin had been silently berating them of their stupidity and sheer recklessness of even attempting something so downright preposterous. Though he had neither say nor experience in InGen's genetics department, he knew enough to know that this was, and still is, a very bad idea. A hybrid dinosaur, born of a conglomeration of prehistoric DNA mixed with that of animals today; he can't even begin to think of the behavioral repercussions of what such a smorgasbord like that would entail. It was stupid, stupid of them to let the thrill of it all blind them from what they would truly be making.

Must the CEO be so daft as to authorize something like this? Has she really changed that much from when he had last known her? Now, having been working for InGen's security division for the better part of four years, Robin has seen the woman on numerous occasions whether that be in the boardroom or out in the field. He has seen her survey her little island dominion with the meticulous but distant eyes of a queen. He has to admit the look suits the heiress quite well. The power suits and impeccable makeup say it all. She's highly competent, no doubt about it—in the business and marketing department, that is. However, Robin can't help but wonder about her knowledge regarding the other side of things, namely the dinosaurs. Would she even care? Or does she just see them as a means to an end, just another number on a spreadsheet, a rise in ticket sales begetting more money towards her mega-corporation, like all the other geneticists who work alongside her. Namely, Dr. Gold, with whom she seems particularly close—too close for his liking.

Oh, how Robin really shivers at even the slightest mention of the tiny imp. A "highly esteemed" researcher indeed, but alongside all that glory, there's a slight chill to the air wherever the man walks and an aura of something underhanded and cryptic hidden beneath such ambition. It's not anything that Robin can put his finger on, but it's enough to keep himself as far away from doctor as much as possible. It frightens him to know that it was Gold who masterminded this whole hybrid operation. However, it frightens Robin even more knowing that the clearly adept Regina Mills was foolish enough to follow. It makes him wonder at just how much influence the little man has over such a powerful CEO.

"Papa, I'm bored." A small voice pulls Robin out from amidst the clutter of his thoughts and back into the living room. Standing from his crouched position, he turns his attention to his right, eyes resting on the petite form of his beloved eight-year-old son. Dark chestnut eyes blink up at him expectantly. "When's Belle going to come?"

"Soon, my boy," Robin replies with a gentle smile, "She should be here any time now. Then I'll be on my way to work, and you two can go and do whatever you please." Robin grabs his wallet and cell, shoving them into his pockets before heading to retrieve his special training clicker that hangs from the hook by the door. Roland follows on his heels.

"How does that work?" The young boy questions, curious as ever.

Robin laughs, shaking his head fondly at the cheeky grin his son throws him. "I thought I've shown you this multiple times," he says.

"Yeah, but I forgot."

Robin shakes his head again, holding the clicker up before him. "Okay, well, whenever the dinosaur does a good thing—you know—does what I tell her to do, I use the clicker like this." He clicks the device twice, eliciting two abrupt snapping sounds. "Then, right after, I give the dinosaur a treat so that she knows that she did well. So, whenever I click, she knows she gets a treat. But to be able to earn that click and the treat the dinosaur has to do what I say. It's kind of like when you know that if you clean your room, you earn a bit of ice cream after dinner."

He watches with an amused smirk upon his lips as Roland furrows his brows in his attempt to understand this mechanism of animal behavioral training. Robin chuckles softly, reaching out to ruffle his son's curls; the little brunette still deep in thought. "You'll get it someday," he reassures sympathetically. He knows quite well he'll have to keep explaining it many more times in the future, which honestly isn't any burden on his part. Robin enjoys feeding his son's interest in the topic, despite the boy's inability to fully grasp it. He can't help but feel a warmth of pride in his chest whenever Roland displays any fascination in his father's passion. Like father, like son.

An abrupt buzzing suddenly disturbs the tenderness of the moment. Robin lifts his hand from his son's hair to fish the vibrating device from his pocket. "It's Belle," he announces with a slight frown before answering. Soon enough, the panicked tones of the babysitter rings through the receiver.

"Robin, I am so sorry," Belle breathes, "My father's just had a stroke. I have to go see him. I'm so sorry."

At this, Robin's heart thuds in his chest, stomach dropping immediately at the gravity of the situation. Instantly, his heart flows with empathy for the young woman. "Oh Belle, I'm so sorry. Please, by all means go see him. It's okay, we'll be fine. Don't worry about us." Robin nods as he continues to listen to the sound of her shaking voice. The poor girl. Her father has always been quite frail. "Yes, yes, of course. Please give all my love—I hope he'll be all right…Yes…Definitely keep me informed."

"Papa, what is it?" Roland asks, his eyes wide with concern as he tugs on his father's arm.

Robin sighs heavily as he cuts the call. "I'm afraid Belle's father is very sick," he states quietly.

"So, she won't be able to come today?"

"No," Robin shakes his head, "I'm afraid not." Anxiously, he runs a hand through his hair. Feeling awful about Belle and her father's predicament, he can't help but also feel agitated about how this has left him regarding his own situation and his son. Robin glances down at his watch. Eight thirty.

"Who's gonna look after me now?"

"I don't know, my boy…" In his mind, Robin goes through a list of people he knows in the nearest town. There's Granny, however she's only available after her diner's hours. Ruby, but she's currently on a cruise in the Caribbean. Mary Margaret, but she has her hands full with a newborn of her own nowadays. That just leaves his best friend Will…who is quite conveniently on a week-long hunting trip. Another heavy sigh leaves through Robin's nose as he meets Roland's eyes once more. There's just one other option.

"Well, Roland, today I guess you're going to have to come to work with me."

* * *

Gentle waves lap against impeccable white shores as a balmy morning breeze rustles leaves of the surrounding plant life. On Isla Nublar, another day is just getting started. Gulls circle the air above, giving a cry or two as they search for a tasty morsel up along the sun kissed coast. They spread their wings, flying in loops as if they are performing some type of routine, until they suddenly scatter upon hearing the deafening roar of an approaching helicopter.

Sitting inside, its passengers gaze over the sparkling waters of the North Pacific, both their headphone receivers emitting nothing but a murmuring static as they remain impassive. For the much younger of the two, a boy of fourteen years, the silence is a welcome thing. The droning sound of the helicopter's engine like a wall between him and the other passenger who cannot help but shift uncomfortably and pick at an invisible piece of lint off the front of her trousers. Through her eyes, the beautiful view of the fast approaching island is hindered by the unsettling peace that has dubiously descended between herself and her son.

"Twenty minutes, Ms. Mills," the pilot suddenly announces as he glances back towards the two, his voice traveling to both their headphones.

Regina glances at the man and sends him a curt nod. She then settles her gaze upon her son who still continues to stare wordlessly out over the tops of the island's thick, lush green forest, over which they now fly. "Henry, we're almost here," Regina states, her dark eyes searching those of her son's as he finally turns to make contact.

"I know," Henry answers simply, his shoulders shrugging slightly. "I heard."

Regina sighs, shaking her head as she reaches out to gently brush his hair from his eyes. "Just…try to have fun today okay?" She pleads softly before reaching for her purse and dipping a slender hand to rummage around in its contents. Within seconds, she produces both a badge and a white envelope, handing both to Henry. "VIP badge along with the tickets. Passes for all of the park's attractions, so that you won't have to wait in line," Regina tells him as she watches her son open the envelope. His eyes slightly become a bit more alive at the sight of the tickets inside.

"Wow, uh," Henry mutters, looking up to meet Regina's eyes once more. "You didn't have to get me all of this. You know I would've been fine with just the gyrosphere ride."

"I know, but it's my treat. And I promised, remember?" She offers him a small smile.

"You're only doing this to make up for what happened."

Regina deflates slightly. "I know, but Henry, I—"

"It's fine," Henry sighs, turning back towards the window, "Just forget about it." A moment passes, the silence enough to form a lump within Regina's throat. She swallows it down quickly before straightening herself up as she hears a slightly more remorseful, "Thanks for the tickets."

The touchdown at the helipad is smooth. Mother and son are soon sliding into a black SUV with tinted windows, promptly en route towards Jurassic World's Visitor Center. It's a beautiful building constructed of glass and wood, all formed into a pyramid-like structure that sits at the very center of the island. The rest of the park and its surrounding enclosures circle around it: the mosasaurus lagoon and arena to the south, herbivore safari plains to the north, aviary to the east, and carnivore feeding displays to the west, to name just a few. All of the park's attractions' entrances are either within walking distance from one another, or easily accessible by use of a shuttle. The Indominus Rex paddock is located the furthest north of the park, the very edges of its enclosure bordering that of the ruins of Regina's father's infamous Jurassic Park.

It's early in the morning, but the center is already teeming with those attempting to beat the crowds in order to be the first at the openings of the attractions. All are wild with anticipation for yet another exciting day. Through what has already become a multitude, Regina floats with practiced ease, weaving in and out of the throngs of visitors as her son struggles to keep up. Standing at the staff entrance towards the very rear of the center's main atrium is a woman who looks about Regina's age, dressed quite casually compared to the latter; a pair of navy blue jeans and brown leather jacket juxtaposing the CEO's impeccable gray sensible pantsuit. Long blonde waves hang forward, framing a delicately squared jaw, as dark hazel eyes peer intensely at an iPad. Upon hearing the telltale clicking of the Regina's Jimmy Choo's, she glances up from whatever she has been scanning and offers a smirk in greeting.

"You're late," the blonde jibes, lifting a brow at the approaching brunette who doesn't hesitate to flash her a tight-lipped scowl.

"Ms. Swan, I'd like you to meet my son Henry," Regina says, promptly ignoring the woman's teasing. "Henry, this is my personal assistant, Emma Swan."

The blonde shifts her gaze towards the boy who looks up at her with mild interest. A smile slips easily to her lips as she bends to offer him a hand. "Call me Emma," she says.

"Hey," Henry replies simply, returning the handshake with a slight smirk after quickly catching on to Emma's infectious mood.

Regina nods, looking from their exchange back up towards the blonde. "I'm assigning you to watch over him today," she continues with her utmost professional tone, "Take good care of him, stay with him at all times." Again, Regina ignores the inevitable sigh that leaves Henry's throat, no matter how quiet he'd thought he was. "Never let him out of your sight."

"Really, Regina? Now my job is to babysit?" Emma groans right along with Henry, making the boy smirk once more at their resemblance in reaction to orders given by high command.

Regina lifts a perfectly curved brow. "Ms. Swan, your job is to execute every task I assign you to the best of your ability. And right now, yes, it's to watch over and protect my son, _to the best of your ability_."

"Really?" Henry also groans. "You're not coming with me?"

Regina sighs. Looking towards her son, she bends down to gently grasp his chin. Their eyes lock, dark on dark. "I'm sorry, Henry, I wish I could. But I'm afraid I have some stuff to attend to."

"But I thought that when you said you'd take me here, _you_ actually would take me here," Henry protests.

"I know, but I have places I need to check up on, people to meet with. I need to make sure my park is running accordingly, you understand that."

"Yeah but, I just…" Henry heaves a loud sigh, shaking his head slowly, "After what happened, I thought that was enough to make you change. But it's just more of the same thing."

His words sting her far more than she'd let on and admit to her own self. Her chest clenches once more in a way that makes her far too uncomfortable. How Regina loathes feeling out of control like this, fearful of feeling an emotion that she'd rather bury deep beneath the work that she does. It's always easier to deny it than face it head on. "I really am trying, Henry," Regina whispers.

"No, you're not," comes the venomous response that has the brunette's lips parting in shock at the acidity of his reply.

Her hand drops from his chin as she straightens back up, feeling a mixture of hurt and anger and frustration. She buries it down with a thick swallow before looking towards Emma, who shifts uncomfortably by their side. "Ms. Swan, I—" Suddenly, Regina's cell rings. "Damnit," she curses as she reaches into her purse to retrieve the device. "I have to go," she states quickly before bending down to press a swift kiss to her son's forehead. "Be safe. We'll talk more later, I promise." She gazes into his deadpan expression with a soft sigh. She forces a smile to her lips. "I love you." And with that, Regina is pressing the answer button as she stands. After throwing one last glance at Emma and she's disappearing back into the crowd, all the while speaking rapidly into the phone.

* * *

Through the silence of the peaceful summer morning slices the squeal of a pig, followed by the pitter patter of feet that scurry across the rugged terrain of the Raptor Research Arena. Four velociraptors sprint after the poor piglet. Darting through the small patches of brush at lightning speed, their claws barely scrape the ground. When the prey runs straight through a small archway leading outside the enclosure, the door slamming shut before the they can pursue, the raptors halt in their tracks. At the sound of Robin's stern voice commanding from where he safely stands on a walkway above the enclosure, all four point their noses skyward.

"Right! Eyes on me!" Robin calls sharply, body tense and arm raised with the clicker in hand. Brows are scrunched together to complete his look of complete toughness and superiority. When working with such beasts, as dangerous as they are, the trainer has no choice but to put on a bit of a mask. Any sign of weakness, a look in the eye or even the slightest give in posture, and the raptors will prey on it like a hawk to a fish.

"Blue!" Robin yells, clicking the device two sharp clicks to grab one raptor's attention as she continues to begrudgingly stare at the closed mini gate through which the piglet ran. "Blue!" The raptor whips her head up towards him, growling in slight disgruntlement.

As the alpha from the start and the largest of the bunch, Robin knew this particular creature was special. Having practically raised her from birth, the trainer anticipated her capabilities to surpass that of her peers right from the very beginning. And to this very day, Blue is regarded as one of the most highly intelligent velociraptors ever made in the history of InGen's work.

"Watch it!" Robin warns, pointing a stern finger at the raptor who is currently snarling up at him. As intelligent and obedient as Blue is, as Blue can be, that doesn't mean she doesn't have a temper.

"Charlie! Delta! What did I say? _Eyes on me!_ Sometime today!" The other two raptors halt amidst a small snarling session with one another, caught after thinking they could've gotten away with it while Robin's attention was on Blue.

"Good!" Robin praises as all raptors finally have their eyes consistently on him. He raises his free hand before he announces that he's going to be moving from his side of the walkway to the other. As he does so, hand still raised, the raptors dutifully follow him with their gaze, bodies turning appropriately as he turns a corner. When he comes to a stop, the raptors do so too, eliciting a pride that blooms deep within Robin's chest. He has gotten them this far, so far. "That is good. That is very good!" Robin commends once more as he clicks the clicker one last time. Reaching into a bucket, he then pulls out the dinosaur treats—fresh whole rats—and tosses them at the raptors one by one. Like dogs, each of them jumps up, catching the rats between powerful jaws with satisfied grunts and snorts.

"Ho!" Robin lifts his hand once again, getting the raptors' attention one last time as they finish their chewing. "Eyes up!" Each one lifts her muzzle to the air, all eyes focused on their trainer. All are finally quiet. After counting about five seconds, Robin releases them with a slice of his hand through the air and a firm "go!", and the raptors are free to roam.

Small hands clap cheerfully behind him as Roland beams at his father from the observation platform at the edge of the arena. "That is so cool" he exclaims in awe, "Do they really listen to everything you say?!"

Robin laughs softly. He shakes his head fondly as he strolls towards his son, tucking his beloved clicker back into his pocket. "Not all the time. They're only animals," he admits with a smirk, "Today was a good day."

"That is still so cool you control dinosaurs, Papa."

"It is," Robin chuckles as he reaches the platform and his son, kneeling down before him with a smile. His hand swipes an unruly curl back from Roland's forehead as he peers into his eyes. "But it's not about control," he continues, "It's about trust. It's a relationship. I do more than just train them. I take care of them, I feed them. I've cared for them ever since they were little. So that's how our relationship works, how I build their trust over time—"

"So that they then will listen to you."

"Well, some of the time," Robin chuckles amusedly as he ruffles his son's hair. "There's always room for improvement."

Roland grins. "Can I see the t-rex now?" He asks, impatiently bouncing in place. "Please?"

Robin sighs, shaking his head as he comes to stand. "Soon, my boy," he says as he begins to head down from the platform, leading his son towards the outermost gates of the enclosure. "I've got some stuff to finish up first," he adds, picking up a feeding bucket on the way.

"Aww! I wanna go now!" Roland pouts, jiggling up and down on the spot. Robin sighs once more, swiping a hand down his face. He knew this would be exactly what would happen. "Can't I just go by myself?"

"Absolutely not, Roland. You know you can't just go running around. It's not safe."

"But—"

"Roland please!" Robin chastises, his voice firmer in his exasperation. It's bad enough that he has had to bring his son to a place that he really shouldn't be in, for obvious reasons. It's a research center, one that's not even open to the public.

"Oi, Robin!" The trainer's coworker shouts from somewhere inside the gates. "Could use a bit of help here!"

Robin shakes his head. "I'll be right there, Killian!" He yells in return before turning back towards his son. "Roland, I need you to wait here." He leads his son to a bench in the shade of the complex. Roland groans, however reluctantly takes a seat. "I'll be back soon, I promise—John!" Robin begins reassuring before suddenly interrupting his own sentence as he calls to one of the keepers who is happening to wander by just at the right moment. He strides towards the burly man, clapping him on the shoulder. "Thank god, please, can you watch my son? I'll be five minutes."

"Yeah, yeah sure, no problem," John responds with a shrug of his wide shoulders.

"Thank you," Robin breathes, "Thanks so much, mate." He pats John on the back once more before jogging off in the direction of his coworker, leaving him with a squirming eight-year-old.

"So," John looks down at Roland before plopping himself onto the bench beside the boy. "You're Locksley's boy. You know your father can't stop talking about you."

"Really?" Roland asks, looking up at the man.

"Yeah. All good things though. He's told us of your interest in dinosaur training. You think you wanna to do what he does someday?"

Roland shrugs indifferently. "I don't know," he replies, "Maybe. But right now, I _really_ wanna see the T-Rex."

"Ahh," John laughs, "That's every boy's choice favorite. I'm afraid you'll have to wait for your father to get back for that one."

"Can't you take me since Papa can't?" The hope in Roland's eyes is almost comical as they become round like saucers. He stares pleadingly up at the man.

"I'm sure your Papa will kill me if I do."

"Please?"

"Sorry," John raises his hands, "No can do, I'm afraid."

Roland groans, swinging his feet annoyedly. The young boy slumps, knowing that his father is sure to take ages. It has to have been already five minutes, if not more, so far.

However it's just as his luck would have it, that suddenly there's an alarm that sounds, one that would signal the opening of one of the innermost gates to the enclosure. There's shouting, and a pounding of footsteps as ACU troopers rush towards the gates, guns drawn. John curses, glancing between the action and where Roland sits. "Wait here, don't go anywhere. I'll be right back," John states firmly before hauling himself off the bench and sprinting towards the commotion.

Roland watches with wide eyes as his guard takes off towards whatever is happening in the enclosure. His initial thought goes towards his Papa as he can't help but wonder what's happening, if he should check to see if his father is okay. But the childish urge to seize the opportunity of not being watched becomes greater. So, it is with one last glance towards the gates that Roland slides from the bench and dashes towards the exit.

* * *

"So, what's the deal with you and your mom?" Emma questions rather bluntly.

Henry lumbers by her side, already exhausted after having gone to the petting zoo, the mosasaurus feeding, and the aquatic park. Throughout their visits to each attraction so far, minimal talking occurred between the two, which was of course fine with Henry. However, as the sun climbs towards noon and the pair makes their way towards the tyrannosaurus rex feeding, the inevitable question is asked, addressing the elephant in the room and the cause of the initial awkwardness between both parties the moment Regina Mills left them in haste.

"Nothing," Henry murmurs while attempting a nonchalant shrug. "We're cool."

"Cool?" Emma snorts, raising her brows as she turns to look pointedly at the boy. "So all that snapping I heard was just _cool_?"

Henry frowns. "I don't know, I mean, I don't see why you'd care anyway."

"Because I'm your mother's assistant and we're good friends. I care about her, and when she's coming into work looking all miserable and sorry for herself, I can't help but wonder—" Emma stops and shakes her head, waving a dismissive hand, "—Never mind, I really shouldn't be saying this stuff to you. You're her kid." Henry raises a brow. "Point is, I just want her to be happy, you know?"

Henry sighs deeply, staring down at his feet as he kicks the gravel as they move along. Despite the anger and frustration all pent up inside for his mother, he can't help but swallow down a small lump of guilt at Emma's words. It is true. He can't imagine being a single mother and running one of the most powerful countries in the world all at the same time—and don't forget the park as well. Yet even still…

"Can we, like, not talk about this?" Henry asks.

Emma nods compliantly. "Might as well," she says before gesturing towards the large wooden gates of Tyrannosaurus Kingdom, "We're here anyway."

The pair push their way through to the front of the large crowd that has congregated behind the shatterproof glass of the t-rex observation deck. Children press their sweaty hands and foreheads against the glass, all the while cheering, "eat him, eat him!" whilst parents shuffle nervously above them with slightly apprehensive looks upon their faces. Just a few feet away from the glass, the tyrannosaurus rex tears apart its meal with great gusto. Its large head, almost the size of the entire window itself, tosses back and forth as the carnivore's powerful jaws rip apart flesh and bone. Henry watches the carnage with a slight grimace before turning his head towards the gathering of tourists, whose children are either fascinated or terrified by the display. Screams and cries of pure terror, mixed with the hoots and hollers of awe and excitement, deafen the boy's ears. The announcement did mention not to bring younger kids to such an exhibit due to the "content that might not be suitable for young children". So really it's the parents' faults to comply with the wishes of their overexcited children who clearly think they are tougher than they really are.

One example is a young, curly-haired brunette boy a few steps away. He stands stiffly, staring out the window at the t-rex with chestnut eyes wide like saucers. With his jaw slackened and his body hardly moving, the young boy who clearly isn't past the age of nine, seems to be the epitome of that fear. Yet, he couldn't seem to take his eyes from the dinosaur's feasting. Henry frowns as he regards the young boy, not being able to help but feel some kind of sympathy for the kid. However, as he looks around for any parents to deliver such sympathy, he notices that there seems to be no one; no one around to place that reassuring hand upon his shoulder, or hug him, or whisper more comforting things in his ear.

It's just then that the young kid suddenly catches Henry's gaze, turning his head to look somewhat curiously at the older boy. Henry shuffles in his spot. Glancing back towards Emma, who has seemed to have occupied herself on her phone, he finds himself drawn towards the boy before he even realizes. Sidling up to the brunette's side, Henry then smirks. "Great show, huh?" He remarks, looking between the dinosaur and the young boy.

The little brunette shrugs, his eyes still wide. "Yeah," he sighs, "Just…a little more…messy than I thought."

Henry laughs aloud at the young boy's euphemism. "Yeah," he mocks with a snort, "You look terrified."

"Am not!" The brunette turns defensive as he huffs.

"Are to," Henry shoots back with a grin, "You should see the look on your face."

"There's no look!" The young boy blinks at him, attempting to look innocent.

"Really?" Henry taunts playfully, "Don't need to run to your mommy and daddy?"

The boy glares daggers at him.

"Where are they anyway?"

The brunette shrugs. "Papa's in the raptor place," he states, "He works there."

At this, Henry's brows shoot towards his hairline. "Really?" He asks in surprise.

"Yeah!" The boy answers, easily forgetting Henry's teasing. "He trains them," he adds proudly with a small dimpled grin.

"That's so cool," Henry says, returning the smile with a small one of his own, "You know, my mom works here too."

"Really?"

"Yeah! She's actually the CEO."

"What's that?" The young boy cocks his head to the side.

"The boss," Henry explains, "She's the boss of everyone around here." Then he smirks once more. "Even the boss of your Papa!"

"Aw!" The little boy exclaims adorably as he giggles, his little eyes sparkling.

Henry grins down at him, finding himself to instantly be drawn to the young boy's bubbly aura. The possibility of making a new friend gives him a good idea. "So, your Papa is working now?" He asks with a tilt of his head.

The boy nods firmly. "Yeah," he says, "Papa's been very busy today. He had to bring me to work and he promised that we could see the t-rex but he had to go do something."

"So you just ran?"

"Yep!"

Henry chuckles before bending slightly down to the boy's level. His smile turns mischievous as he looks into the brunette's wide eyes. "You know, my mom left too cause she had to go do stuff. Left me alone too. What do you say we stick together?"

At his suggestion, the boy's eyes widen even further, alight with new excitement. "Really?" He breathes, in charming disbelief.

"Really," Henry states with a nod, "Plus, I've got passes to all the places so we won't have to wait in line. And a special badge!"

"Cool!" Squeals the brunette. "One for me too?"

Henry shakes his head. "But, since my mom is the boss, I'll just tell them that and they'll let you through." He gives the boy a wink. "All the workers are scared of her anyway," he adds, making the brunette laugh. "So what do you say?"

The young boy fervently nods his head, practically bouncing with joy. "Yeah! Awesome!" He cheers, pumping the air with his fist.

Henry grins. "I'm Henry, by the way."

"Roland!" The boy excitedly answers with his own name.

Henry nods happily. "All right, Roland," he says before grasping Roland's forearm. He leans close to the boy in front of him before taking another surreptitious look at Emma. But it's just then that the blonde, after all this time, decides to finally glance up from her phone. "Shoot!" Henry curses under his breath.

"Hey Henry!" Emma calls, brows pulling together as she starts towards the two boys. "Who's that kid with y—" Suddenly, her phone begins to ring, saving Henry and Roland from the inquire that was sure to come.

Henry breathes out a sigh of relief and turns back towards the younger boy. "Okay Roland," he whispers, "On three, we're gonna run." Roland simply nods, eager to follow anything Henry says. Henry glances one last time towards Emma who seems too preoccupied to take notice of their actions. "One, two, three!"

* * *

The staccato clicking of heels beats rapidly as she moves swiftly down a hallway forbidden to the public. Bursting through the doors of the Visitor's Center control room, Regina forcefully strides into an area of flashing screens of red and deeply concerned staff. They all turn in their seats and look fearfully at the glowering CEO.

"Can someone tell me what the hell is going on?" Regina demands viciously as she marches down the steps towards the throng of computers.

A tall man, lean and perfectly sculpted in firm muscle, looks up from the main terminal and abruptly turns. He peers at the CEO with darkened gray eyes that flicker out from underneath a crop of unruly dirty-blonde curls that fall in disarray over his forehead. Nervously, he lifts a hand to scratch at his stubble.

"Graham Humbert," Regina addresses him sternly as she would a child. She stalks up to him, eyes flashing as she stares coldly at the man's stiffening form. Every cell within her vibrates with both anger and anxiety; her fear manifests in fury towards the young park operations manager. "You said that the Indo-Rex's paddock was safe and secure, and that all of the final inspections have been completed. Now that the asset has been put into that very containment, why did I just get an alert that there has been some kind of a breach?"

Graham shakes his head fervently, those curls bouncing about his forehead. "When a worker went to go feed the asset, he saw no sign of it. That's when he checked the thermal cameras, and—I don't know, I mean, the thermal surveillance system seems to be working perfectly. But it's not picking up on any thermal signatures from the animal. The doors haven't been open in weeks." he breathes, "We ran our security tests just today including the thermal system. Everything was fine—"

"Yes, and everything is fine until you crash your car," Regina spits, "Really, Graham, are you that daft?" She sighs, placing her hands on her hips. Underneath her hardened exterior, her heart begins to pound. Closing her eyes, she takes a deep breath. "Where's the asset now?" Regina asks, voice faltering in a slight tremble.

She watches then as the operations manager turns towards the terminal once more. "There's a tracker in its back," Graham states as he punches in a few codes, "We can see where it is using that." Regina leans over his shoulder, staring intently at the screen in front of them. Suddenly an alarm sounds, a deep honking that has both Regina and Graham, along with other members in the room, jumping in unison. Wide dark eyes reflect the new unsightly bold red words that flash not only on their computer screen, but on all the others including the large main control screen at the very front of the room. _Tracker Disarmed._ _Unable to Detect._

"No," Regina breathes, her heart rate accelerating by the second as she lays a shaky hand on Graham's shoulder. She looks to him as he turns towards her, gray eyes just as wide as hers. "So we have absolutely no clue if the thing is even in there."

"It appears so," Graham mutters. He straightens up slowly, staring up like a deer in the headlights at the flashing red on the main screen. He steps towards the front to get a better look at the monitor. "Someone disabled its tracker."

"Yes, I can see that" Regina hisses, "Why would anybody want to even…" She trails off with a shake of her head. "Can't we just turn it back on?"

Graham shakes his head. "The staff here are only given the tools with which they use the security measures that are already put place. Those who actually install the devices—that job goes to InGen's Security Division. They're the only ones that have access to the codes to the instruments like the tracking device."

"So someone in security is playing with us," Regina growls, her upper lip curling, "First the thermal detector, and now this."

"Well, I wouldn't call it playing…"

"Well whatever it is, whatever game this is, I'm going to put an end to it immediately." The CEO turns towards one of the other staff. "Get me Phillip Nottingham," she commands, calling for the chief of security, "I want to see him _now_."

"We also need to figure out what to do about the asset," Graham adds, "Now that we have no way of tracking it…"

"It couldn't possibly have escaped, could it?" Regina replies as she turns her attention back towards Graham. At her own question, she can already feel her skin begin to prickle.

"No, I mean, it shouldn't have," the manager answers, "But we need to be sure."

"And how the hell are we supposed to do that?" Regina says exasperatedly while throwing her hands into the air. "What? Send someone straight into the lion's den?"

Graham blinks at her, raising his brows slightly. "We might be able to if he's experienced enough."

Regina furrows her brows at the blonde, her stare almost as lethal as that of the dinosaur's jaws. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," Graham clears his throat, "Someone who is knowledgeable about dinosaur behavior, you know, their instincts. Someone who can track it."

At this, the CEO's eyes widen at the sudden realization of exactly the man Graham is talking about. "No," she whispers before clearing her voice and firmly shaking her head. "Absolutely not. Not him."

Graham sighs, offering a small shrug. "He's the best of the best. No one knows dinosaurs like he does." Even so, Regina crosses her arms like a petulant child, turning her head to avoid his gaze. She hears him take a tentative step towards her before lowering his voice, "Regina, I know there's been some history between you two. But for the park's sake, you need to put the past aside for right now. He's the best we've got, our best chance at making sure this thing doesn't go beyond its paddock walls."

A heavy pause ensues as Regina glances towards Graham and then looks among the room full of staff who look anxiously towards her. She sees this small group of people, a mere handful out of all those she must protect. And though she would rather walk straight into the Indominus Rex's paddock herself than speak to Robin Locksley again, Regina knows that bringing in the insufferable man is the best option they have.

"Fine," she huffs finally with a reluctant shake of her head. Regina nods at Graham, then lifts her chin. "Get me Locksley."

* * *

 **Thanks so much for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed this first update just as much as I enjoyed writing it! Don't forget to let me know what you think!**

 **Stay tuned, more to come soon! ;)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Back again! I just want to start off by saying how amazed I am by how well the first chapter was received. Thank you all so much for your kind words. I am beyond thrilled to see your excitement, and I can only hope to live up to that in this next update. I hope you enjoy it, it was so much fun to write!**

* * *

There's a certain fear that grips your chest. It's not like the stagnant feeling that seizes your ability to move, allowing you to only stand or sit staring stiffly with eyes popping out of your sockets: a fear that is most superficial. This is a fear that rattles your bones to their very marrow, one that has blood running frozen in an instant yet still remaining so full of ardor that it courses through your veins double-time. It impairs the rationality of the mind, though all the while driving forward any and all responsive behavior put forth by the uninhibited and emotional mind of the heart. This, is the fear experienced when witnessing the potential strike of any danger upon a loved one. Whether that be a friend, a family member, coworker, or lover, the inevitable feeling of fear is all the same. It ignites a burning desire to protect no matter what the circumstances, and no matter what the cost may be to one's own self.

And that was exactly what seized Robin's heart and turned his blood cold the moment he saw his coworker and dearest friend fall straight down into the pit of the velociraptor arena. In that moment, only the thought of running straight into the lion's den without question occupied his mind—not that he had much of a plan in mind after that, just anything to save poor Killian Jones.

As Robin slammed his palm against the button and the innermost gate began to rise, he knew he was going to be doing something that could end very badly. Though having been working with these creatures since the day they were born, the trainer had not been physically in the paddock with the raptors since they were about three months old. That is, the age when they were old enough to care for themselves and already beginning to grow at quite the accelerated rate. Therefore, running straight in front of their snarling faces and snapping jaws for the first time, after the better part of three and a half years, was brave in and of itself.

As he surged forward between a stunned Killian and four ravaging raptors just dancing with anticipation of a possible meal, Robin begged the ACU that stood poised on the walkway above to hold their fire. For he knew very well that should the troopers bombard the animals with bullets, the dinosaurs would never trust him again. This then unfortunately rendered the trainer completely alone and without any backup; Robin knew that this would become the ultimate test of trust between him and his beloved raptors. As he held both his arms out towards the growling beasts, their teeth gnashing and bodies crouching poised to pounce, Robin put on his toughest façade possible. All the while, John was running up from behind and pulling a scrambling Killian out to safety.

Stern blue eyes stared directly at those of the velociraptors as he curtly told them to "stand down." His heart jolted as Blue snapped her jaws in retaliation. But oddly enough, it was she that Robin trusted the most. Over the years, he'd found himself to have grown fond of the blue-striped raptor, of the undeniably special connection they shared. This most certainly is not to say that Robin was foolish enough to believe that Blue wouldn't harm him. After all, she is what she is. But there is a level of respect between the two of them, and that can come to show in the most unexpected of ways.

And just as Robin hoped, despite her animalistic nature, velociraptor remained in her place. Thankfully, so did the others.

The ordeal was over when Robin, confident that he had the raptors as controlled as possible, told Killian to close the gate. The trainer then slipped underneath the moving bars as the velociraptors lunged towards him, slamming up against the metal as the gate closed just in time. He could hardly believe he made it out unscathed.

Now, as Robin sits with his back against the bars, chest heaving and sweat dribbling down the back of his neck, he attempts to wrap his mind around what had just happened. Killian looks down at him, simply shaking his head in awe before pulling his comrade up to stand.

"You all right, mate?" He breathes, keeping a firm grasp on Robin's biceps.

The trainer nods, letting out a deep sigh in relief. "Yeah," he exhales, "Just a bit…rattled, that's all."

"I can't imagine," Killian replies with a small laugh, "And I'm the one that fell in the cage." He rolls his eyes, a slight blush of embarrassment creeping over his cheeks. "Bloody pig."

Robin shakes his head, chuckling along good-naturedly. "I would have laughed had it not been a raptor that pulled you down as you tried to lasso that pesky runaway."

Killian rolls his eyes again. "Sure you would," he teases before he slapping a grateful hand on Robin's shoulder. He then looks to his second rescuer. "Thanks for the help," he adds.

John waves a hand. "Don't mention it," he responds with a grin before giving Robin a nod as well.

"Is Roland okay?" Robin inquires, stepping towards the hefty man as he realizes with a minuscule amount of annoyance that the man didn't exactly do what he'd asked earlier on. That is, watch his overexcited son and make sure the boy would indeed stay put.

"Yeah, he's just waiting on the bench where you left him. I'll head back there now, no worries at all."

Robin nods curtly. "I'll go with you," he decides before starting off in that direction. However, the trainer doesn't travel far from the gates when suddenly he is halted by the sound of his name. Turning in the direction of the voice, Robin immediately recognizes the ACU commander who marches swiftly towards him, visibly agitated.

"David, what's going on?" he questions upon seeing the man's tightly wound features.

"We need you to report to the Indominus Rex's paddock immediately," David states in all seriousness, "I'm afraid it's urgent."

"Indominus Rex?" Robin repeats, his brows summiting his hairline, "What on earth do you need me for over there?"

"There's not much time to explain," the commander replies as he turns swiftly towards the closest exit of the arena, leaving Robin no choice but to follow. "In short, there has been a situation and we think that you may be able to help us."

"We? Who's we?" The trainer walks briskly by the man's side.

"The operations manager, myself, and the CEO."

At the David's answer, Robin swallows thickly, shaking his head as he can't help but halt in his tracks. He eyes the commander with slight suspicion. "The CEO?" How deep of a situation had they gotten themselves into this time to require Regina's attention?

David nods, halting as he turns to face him. "She insists that you come straight away. She's to meet us there in fifteen."

Robin sighs. Feeling rather reluctant, he glances about his surroundings. It has been so long since he has spoken with Regina face to face. And the last time was just so awkward—even if it was nothing but a swift exchange of meaningless pleasantries at the end of a tedious board meeting several months ago. "What about my son? I can't just leave him here."

John, who had been following closely behind, clears his throat. "I'll watch over him," he assures with a firm nod, "He'll be safe, I promise."

Robin sighs again. Against his own desire to not follow the commander, the trainer knows that if this situation is as grave as it seems, he has no choice but to obey, especially if he potentially has the means to help. After all, it is the honorable thing to do. "Fine," Robin relents, "Don't let him out of your sight again."

John nods fervently, ironically unaware that unbeknownst to the both of them, the boy has already taken off. "I won't," he states, "I promise."

So, it's with one last exchange of firm glances, that Robin is continuing with David towards the exit and sliding into the passenger side of an awaiting Asset Containment Unit van. The ride is quiet as both men focus their eyes primarily out the windshield as they race down the narrow dirt road through the forest, en route to the Indo-Rex's paddock. As they ride in silence, Robin has to force himself to stay still as he fidgets in his seat. Nerves have gotten the best of him, which really is just plain silly for a man of his age. But alas here he is, undoing a button on his shirt and rubbing his slightly clammy palms together—both of which he could and does easily blame on the recent raptor incident. Nevertheless, by the time they arrive, the ever-growing lump in Robin's throat is a solid indicator of his apprehension in speaking with the one and only woman who has ever had the power to make him feel this way.

They arrive at the paddock's parking lot just five minutes before the telltale black Chevrolet SUV rolls into view. Each time Robin sees that car, he can't help but scoff at the tinted windows, Regina's audacity in parading around with such extravagance as if she's the President of the United States. The car halts and the doors open. Then one shiny-heeled foot followed by another, and the CEO emerges in all her regal glory, poised and composed with not a hair out of place. She pins those who await her with an icy glare. And not even two steps towards him, Robin can already feel the vulnerability creep uncomfortably beneath his skin as Regina is quick to scrutinize his entire being with a sharply arched brow and a chillingly critical gaze. The brunette strides towards him, followed by her operations manager who trails behind at a safe distance.

"Mr. Locksley," she states by way of greeting as she approaches him with unremarkable confidence. It makes Robin wonder if she feels the same way he does, if she feels anything in any way at all regarding him. Just the manner in which she addresses him with utmost professionality, the way her eyes remain aloof, has the trainer's heart sinking ever so slightly. "We've been awaiting your presence."

"All due respect, Madam, but it seems as if _we've_ been awaiting _yours_ ," Robin can't help but quip as he tries to thaw the air between them. He lifts a brow, attempting to cheekily match her surly expression.

As expected, the CEO merely lifts her nose and carries on, pretending not to notice. "I assume Nolan briefed you?"

Robin shakes his head. "I was told that there was an incident," he replies, glancing at David, "and that I might be of service. I assumed you'd have the pleasure of telling me more?"

Regina turns immediately to shoot the commander a swift glare. "Yes, I suppose so, since no one else bothered," she mutters in an annoyance that Robin can't help but find somewhat amusing. David shrinks into the background.

"There has been some kind of a malfunction with the thermal surveillance located within the paddock," the CEO continues as she begins the short walk towards the paddock deck entrance. The rest follow silently along. "At a glance, the cameras seem to be working just fine, however they reveal absolutely no trace of any thermal activity."

Robin scratches the back of his head. "If this is an issue with the security system, then I fail to see why I'm needed. You of all people know I'm awful at technology." He smirks slightly, another meager attempt to lighten the mood.

Regina rolls her eyes, continuing to ignore his apparently poorly delivered remarks. "Like I said, there seems to be absolutely nothing wrong with the technology. Therefore, it would obviously make no sense that there's no thermal signature being picked up. Evidently, this would cause some concern regarding the Indo-Rex's location."

"Did you check the tracker?"

"We did, but it has been disabled." Regina sighs.

Immediately, Robin frowns, staring at the brunette in incredulously. "What? Why? Can't security just reboot it?"

Again, Regina sighs—well—this time it's more of a groan. "Mr. Locksley, if I knew the answers to any of that, we wouldn't be here," she responds, exasperation so clearly evident in her voice. She then shakes her head as if to compose herself. "Apparently, it's more complicated than that." Robin lifts a brow. "But that's the least of our worries now." The CEO carefully eyes him. "We have no way of tracking the dinosaur."

At this, Robin lifts his chin in a slow nod as he now begins to understand what the issue is. "So you need my help in figuring out where the bloody hell she is," he deduces.

"Precisely," Regina answers as they begin to ascend the stairs up into the entrance of the paddock's observation deck. "In short, I need you to enter into the paddock, use your tracking skills to find out if the Rex is in there or not."

"I'm not a dog, Regina," Robin scoffs lightly, following the brunette into the small enclosed room.

Regina raises her brows as she stops in front of the window, facing the dubious trainer. "But you are proficient in your knowledge regarding dinosaur behavior, are you not?" She questions, tilting her head appraisingly, "You are an animal behaviorist after all."

"I am, but that doesn't mean I can just randomly walk into this enclosure and expect to come out in one piece," Robin retorts as he waves a hand towards the trees outside the window, "Unless…that's the whole point? Your way of finally getting rid of me?" He tilts his head right back at her, bravely flashing a smirk along with a small quirk of his eyebrow.

In return, Regina shoots the man a withering stare. "Really, Mr. Locksley?" She breathes in such a way that Robin can easily tell that she's trying so hard to remain as irritated as possible, no matter how much she tries to conceal it. After all, he has known the woman for a bit, despite the scarceness of their encounters over the past few years. "Even to this day, you're the same as you always were."

"How so?" Robin challenges, his smirk widening even more.

The brunette shrugs. "Just your attempts at trying to, I don't know, sway me off course with your pathetic excuse for charm."

Her insult doesn't bite like it should as Robin simply presses a hand to his chest. "Ouch, Regina, you wound me."

"Mr. Locksley…"

"Robin, please for the love of God, it's Robin."

Regina lets out another one of her deep sighs. However this time, Robin watches closely as her shoulders sag. It's a subtle resignation on her part, but for him, a small victory. "Okay fine. _Robin_ ," she grits before shaking her head, "Just…will you please do this for us?"

Robin remains silent for a moment, save for a long exhale through his nose as he takes in the overwrought features of the woman in front of him. From Regina's dark brows furrowed so intensely at him that it creates that endearing wrinkle just above her nose, to the paleness of her olive-toned cheeks juxtaposed against the unfathomable darkness and depth of her eyes, to the pursing of her rouge lips colored the same color she had always worn—just seeing her up close like this after so long, even in distress, reminds him of just how stunning the brunette truly is. "Fine," Robin acquiesces, this time with a gentle nod, "I'll do it." He gestures towards the paddock's forest outside. "I just need a few details about the place, and the dinosaur."

He offers a small encouraging smile to which Regina surprisingly nods in compliance, the corners of her own lips twitching ever so slightly. "What do you want to know?"

"Well, to start, what exactly is the dinosaur?"

"The base genome is a t-rex, the rest is classified."

"Classified? So you don't even know what she is?" Robin shakes his head in disbelief.

"The lab sends us finished assets and we show them to the public." Graham suddenly steps up, his voice making both Robin and Regina jump. With all of the back and forth between the two of them, the pair had forgotten the other two men who have been patiently waiting there, trying to tolerate the cool atmosphere in the most respectful way possible.

Robin frowns, turning his gaze from the operations manager back towards the CEO. "And you allow this?" He questions, in utter astonishment at the woman's cluelessness in accepting and showing to the public whatever they—and by they he means Dr. Gold—cooks up in that lab.

"Well, uh, yes," Regina says as if it's the most obvious concept to understand. She straightens her spine, always poised and ready to justify. "The park needs a new attraction every few years to keep the public's interest," she explains, "This time, we figured genetic modification would up the 'wow' factor. So far, it seems to have done the trick. Sales have risen tremendously in just the last month since the announcement."

Again, Robin can't help but blatantly scoff at the brunette's outlook. "Oh, I'm sure profit has risen, but what about the dinosaur itself?" He asks, "You know, the live animal they created?"

Dark eyes blink at him. "What about it?" Regina responds, far too innocently for her position. As much as he stillcares for the woman, her ignorance stuns him.

Robin snorts, gesturing towards the walls of the paddock. "Her health, her well-being, her _emotional_ well-being?"

Regina laughs, simply laughs. But, it is just enough to immediately boil Robin's blood with frustration, especially after her next comment. "Robin, even you would realize that it's almost impossible to measure the asset's happiness on a scale of one to ten."

At this, Robin throws his hands into the air. "See? This is what the issue is with you people!" He explodes, glaring between both a wide-eyed Regina and a visibly shamefaced Graham. "All you care about is numbers, graphs, scales, spreadsheets. You even call the animal like you see it: an asset. What about _her_ as a living, breathing animal? I mean—" He tosses a hand towards the window, "—how long has she been kept in isolation like that?"

"All her life," Graham answers meekly.

"So that's all she has known. She has no other means of communicating with any other forms of life."

"Well, there was a sister in case one of them didn't make it," Regina adds.

"And?"

"She ate it."

Robin groans aloud, swiping a hand down his face. "No wonder she's messed up. Animals growing up in captivity aren't the most functional. That much is evident."

"But the raptors were born in captivity," Graham points out.

"True," Robin answers, "But they're born with siblings, more than just one. They learn proper social skills. And I imprint on them when they're born so that there's a level of trust between us." Robin lifts a disparaging brow. "I highly doubt anyone gave this Indominus Rex the same treatment, leaving her to grow and mature completely segregated."

"So what do you suggest?" Regina inquires as she impatiently flips a lock of hair behind her shoulder, "Introduce it to other animals? Schedule a playdate?"

Robin exhales slowly. "Probably not the best idea," he murmurs in defeat. Obviously, it's far too late for that now.

Regina shifts from one foot to the other, so visibly eager to end this discussion. "Is that all you need? Can we get on with the operation now?"

Robin shakes this head. "There's not much of an operation here other than walk into the paddock and blindly play 'if I were a dinosaur, where would I go?'," he grumbles, to which the brunette pins him again with a chilling glare that would certainly rival that of the Indo-Rex. Robin simply tilts his head at her, as if to say that it wasn't his idea; wondering himself exactly why he agreed to this in the first place.

* * *

"Do you really think this will work?" Regina asks as she crosses her arms, pacing in front of the observation window as Robin and David make their way back down towards the actual entrance to the enclosure's interior.

Graham lifts his shoulders, keeping both a close eye between the paddock's monitors and the antsy CEO on his left. "Locksley knows what he's doing," he reassures, "He's highly competent, intelligent, the best I've ever hired."

Regina stops and turns on her heel, narrowing her eyes. "You're not just saying that because that is what he wants you to believe when he signs in those weekly reports?"

"No, I've seen the man work," Graham insists, "No one else can do what he does, controlling those raptors like that, anticipating their every move. And he's good at getting himself out of situations, a quick thinker."

The brunette snorts. "Well he better be, because right now, his life kind of depends on it," she murmurs, lifting a hand to tug nervously at a strand of hair.

Quickly catching on to her surprisingly unsubtle body language, Graham lifts a brow in slight interest. "You do seem quite concerned all of a sudden," he remarks slowly, tilting his head.

"Well, it is normal to be worried about sending an employee into a potentially very dangerous situation, especially in a place like this. Is it not?" Regina retorts defensively as she snaps her hand back down to her side and places it on her hip. "Should the outcome be fatal, that'll be yet another opening that you'd have to fill."

The operations manager dips his head, chuckling humorlessly in what appears to be a mockery of amazement, to which the woman stares daggers through him. "You don't mean that," Graham breathes, shaking his head incredulously, "Are you really that evil for that to be all you're concerned about?"

Regina eyes him darkly. "Perhaps you don't know me as well as you think you do."

"I know you well enough to know that you've never been so keen on showing your true feelings, especially to those you potentially care about," comes the courageous response.

"Excuse me?" Regina frowns, her eyes flashing dangerously at the man.

Graham simply shrugs again, lifting his hands in surrender. "I'm just saying that I saw what was going on between the two of you just now, the way you tried so hard to be distant—indifferent—like the way you used to be with me. I know you enough to know it's a sign that you still have some kind of feelings for him."

"I'd hold your tongue if I were you, Humbert," Regina suddenly growls, her eyes flickering with warning, "We are not at that level anymore where we can discuss such things."

Contrary to her wishes, her threats have little effect on the man opposite her. "I wasn't even aware we were at any level at all," Graham acknowledges with another small shrug.

"We weren't," Regina dismisses as she scornfully regards their brief time together as "just a few foolish nights, nothing more."

"It's no surprise," Graham admits, "You always did and still do refuse to open any part of yourself up to anyone. It's no wonder why you and I never worked out: the same reason you never seemed to even attempt at trying to patching anything up with Robin."

Regina steps towards the man who stares not so innocently back at her, his eyes shining with a truth that she'd rather ignore. "If I didn't know any better, you seem rather keen on Locksley and I joining hands and being all happy." She squints at him as if trying to examine him through the lens of a microscope. "Why?" She demands skeptically, "Aren't you jealous?"

Graham shakes his head, letting out a deep breath. "You know I'm not that kind of guy," he utters lowly, "I'm over what happened with us. I know you didn't want me and that's fine. But I also know you know that deep down, even if it's not with me, you owe it to yourself to try and find even the least bit of happiness—if you're even capable of that."

The honesty of his words undoubtedly sting her as Regina crosses her arms, making a point of avoiding eye contact as she stands simmering with frustration over the man's blatant audacity. She is doing just fine on her own, if she does say so herself. She has more than a well-paying job and a beautiful son whom she loves dearly. Her life is perfect, just the way she wants it. What more could she possibly need, could she possibly desire, enough to go digging up a past that, in her mind, has already been buried—all for the sake of some happiness that Graham insists that she doesn't have already? It's a moot idea, unrooting past complications with absolutely no reassurance that it would have any positive effect whatsoever. Not to mention how terribly embarrassing it would be in the event that it doesn't work. It's these thoughts that compel Regina to dissolve back behind her walls. She has never been one to dwell in the past anyway; always guarding her heart closely, emotions concealed behind each door she shuts. So why should she risk that safety now, just because of some crisis? Especially after all those years of careful avoidance…

Suddenly her phone rings, startling the brunette back to the present. Reaching into her pocket with a sigh, she grabs the darned device.

"Ms. Mills," a voice drawls on the other end, "You wanted to speak with me?" It's Nottingham.

"Oh, you better have a good explanation for all of this," Regina hisses, eyes suddenly flashing. She curls her lip. "You're lucky I'm here trying to fix the mess you've made," the enraged CEO continues, "give you some time before I come over there, break your nose, and fire your sorry ass."

"Ms. Mills, that is rather extreme, wouldn't you say?"

"Not the way I see it."

She hears the insolent man sigh almost mockingly, only serving to furthermore heat her fury. Regina had always harbored somewhat of a loathing for the chief of security, having only kept him on the team due to his _usual_ competency, despite his ongoing obnoxious attitude. But today might just be the day when she may finally decide to cut him loose.

"I'm here in the control room, Ms. Mills," Phillip says, "and I'm just as puzzled as you are. Thermal monitors are working. It just doesn't add up."

"Why don't you tell me something that I don't know," Regina spits, "What about the tracker, hmm? Does manually disarming it seem to not _add up_ for you as well?"

"I'm sorry. It must have been an oversight."

"That's the most pathetic excuse I've ever heard!" The CEO abruptly yells, making Graham wince beside her. "Don't you have any idea the repercussions your so-called oversight?! I'm risking workers' lives here trying to track the asset right now!"

"And I can see that on the monitors, Ma'am. They better know what they're doing because there's nothing…" His words fall silent.

Regina freezes, eyes wide and brows furrowed as she immediately senses the sudden drop of temperature. Beside her, Graham slowly lifts his head, his own eyes flying open. Heart skipping a beat, the brunette follows his gaze out the window.

And her mouth drops open.

* * *

The paddock is quiet as Robin and David slowly enter. Rifles poised and ready, both men are on high alert as each step forward brings them further into a potential death trap. Above, the treetops rustle as a faint breeze sweeps through the enclosure and adds to the area's already ominous undercurrent. The small gust caresses Robin's arms, though leaving a juxtaposing chill in its wake as he feels his skin begin to prickle. Glancing behind one last time, the trainer catches Regina's eye as she watches visibly apprehensive from behind the protection of the deck's shatterproof glass. Sighing, he turns away and shifts back towards the throng of uncharted trees that lie just ahead.

"Do you really think she could've escaped?" David whispers, making the trainer almost jump out of his skin. "The walls should be high enough."

Robin shakes his head. "Depends."

"On what?"

"Whatever bloody concoction of a dinosaur Gold threw together," the trainer mutters in disdain.

He continues on, bravely trekking towards the first cluster of trees. Step by step, crunch by crunch of the leaves beneath his boots, Robin inches forward. His ears are wide open and sensitive to any potential sound. But all is silent apart from the sound of his heartbeat that knocks against his chest. David follows closely behind.

The branches above their heads suddenly shake. And the men immediately duck, their hearts now pounding away as they look frantically about their surroundings. However, it's just as Robin lifts his head skyward that he spots an eagle burst through the leaves and take flight with an alarming screech.

"Bloody hell," Robin curses, gritting his teeth as he regathers his bearings. Beside him, the commander snorts, shaking his head in utter bemusement.

Two more steps forward and all is silent as it was before. One foot in front of the other, eyes scouring the thicket ahead.

It's a significant dip in the terrain just three feet away that abruptly catches Robin's attention. As he creeps forward, he can feel the hair on his neck bristle with unease. The trainer hardly realizes the breath that he's holding when he cautiously approaches and kneels over a clearly evident dinosaur footprint that lays plastered down in the dirt. Reaching forward, Robin tentatively brushes the edge of the track, feeling just how rigid the soil is beneath the pads of his fingers. His eyes widen, struck with realization.

"Do you think…?" David swallows beside him, turning a slow head towards the trainer.

"Yeah," Robin breathes as he lifts his head, eyeing another footprint stamped a good stride from where they now crouch. "These tracks are new…"

Without warning, the branches above rustle once more. This time, it's a louder tremble, one that screams of danger. A low growl suddenly sounds, curdling Robin's blood. As if in slow motion, both men stand from their stooped position, just in time to stare agape at a thick, scaly hide that suddenly slides into view.

Robin drops his rifle the moment he becomes rooted into the ground. He stares up at the towering figure, only able to look in both awe and horror at her slit eyes. "Go." He forces both himself and David into action. "Go!"

They take off in the direction of the man door from which they entered, boots pounding the ground. But the monster is quicker, swift to block their exit with a deafening roar. The men skid to a stop, having no choice but to change course.

As he runs as fast as he can, Robin's mind works double-time to try and find a second escape. In the corner of his eye, he spots David heading straight towards the paddock's actual gate. In his haste, the commander slams his hand down onto the palm reader and types in the code. Immediately, the barrier begins to slide and no sooner does David attempt to squeeze himself through.

But the Indo-Rex is faster. The moment David slips forward, she reaches her claws through the crack and snatches the commander with a triumphant growl.

Robin can only imagine what the scene must look like when he hears the blood-curdling crunch of the commander's bones between her teeth as he shoots towards the now unobstructed man door once again. He hopes he'll have enough time.

But alas the dinosaur gives another bellow, her meal finished just as quickly as it began. She starts after the trainer, moving at lightning speed to cut off his escape a second time. This time, Robin has no choice but to turn and head straight for the paddock gate. However, it's as he looks ahead, that the barrier jolts to life and begins to slide closed.

* * *

"No you can't!" Regina screams into the phone. Fear surges through her, sparking up a myriad of nerves that vibrate her to the core.

"I have no choice!" Nottingham argues, "The asset will escape!"

"There's a man in there still," the brunette cries, "We can't just lock him in!"

"Regina!" Graham shouts, lunging towards the brunette as she suddenly drops her cell and charges towards the paddock's control panel to try and reverse the closing gate. He catches the CEO around her waist just before her fingertips touch the board, abruptly pulling her back.

Regina strains against him, her eyes wild as she can do nothing but watch in horror as the lone survivor flees towards the closing channel. "Robin," she whispers.

"He can make it," Graham grits tensely in her ear, "He'll make it through."

* * *

Adrenaline spikes through his veins as he runs as fast as his feet can carry him. With the Indo-Rex just steps away from him, Robin barely makes it out. It's not a moment too soon before the beast slams her body through the crack in hot pursuit, just in time to stop the door from sliding completely shut.

A loud bang followed by another splits the air in two as the Indo-Rex wrestles with the gate. It gives Robin just enough time to dive headfirst underneath the parked ACU van before she completely throws the door open and off its track, shattering both steel and cement.

* * *

Regina watches, mouth agape in a silent cry. She doesn't realize the tears that threaten to sting her eyes. Her deathlike grip on Graham's forearm is bruising.

With her heart in her throat, the brunette gasps as the scene unfolds before her on the monitor. Knees tremble as she hears the gut-wrenching crack of the barrier outside and sees Robin slide to safety beneath the sitting van.

"No, Regina," Graham warns as the brunette tries to wrench herself once more from his grasp and towards the deck exit without thought. "We can't risk you too."

Regina squeezes her eyes shut, willing it all to go away.

* * *

The ground shakes as Robin remains as still as possible. He feels the vibrations that tremble the gravel beneath his palms and the cold sweat that runs down the back of his neck. He can only see the feet of the dinosaur and her tail that lashes out from behind as she strides forward, free at last. In a split-second decision, Robin is flipping onto his back and using the knife on his belt to swiftly sever the fuel line. He spreads the gas over his neck, chest, and arms to mask his scent before lying as still as possible.

The earth continues to tremble as the Indo-Rex stomps forward, slowly approaching the van as if she's playing some kind of twisted game of hide-and-seek. In his periphery, Robin can see her massive muzzle lower beside his head. Her nostrils flare as she lets out a thunderous snort. Robin closes his eyes and holds his breath, silently praying that he may not end up like poor David.

It's a few frightening moments later that the dinosaur is lifting her head. And with a frustrated growl, she ambles off into the trees.

Robin opens his eyes.

"Bloody fucking hell!" he curses vehemently as he finally slides himself out from underneath the van. Flinging the excess gas from his hands, the trainer marches towards the observation deck, keen on getting inside as soon as humanly possible.

Bursting through the doors, the sight he is met with is certainly more of a surprise than he'd thought. Regina is clutched tightly in the arms of her operations manager, her vice-like grip on him making it seem as if he's her lifeline. She stares bug-eyed at him with her jaw loose, gazing in sheer astonishment at his presence. It's as if the brunette couldn't believe that he's here standing in front of her.

Robin shakes his head. His gas-matted hair clumps together and hangs limply over his forehead. He wreaks of fuel, but that is the least of his problems.

"The hell was that?" Robin swears once again, his eyes flashing a darker blue as he strides towards the still shaking brunette. He watches as she hastily untangles herself from Graham and straightens her suit jacket. It's a feeble attempt at trying to recover her dignity and make it seem as if she hadn't just shown a part of her weakness. Though, she can't seem to completely erase the stricken look in her eye. "What in the world did you think would happen sending us in there?!" Robin continues to scold furiously, setting aside the woman's insecurities for now to focus promptly on the current horrifying situation.

"Excuse me!" Regina snaps, striding towards him, "You think I could've predicted any of this to happen? It's the only option I had and you know it."

"Regina, a man died."

"You agreed to this plan. Both of you did," the brunette vindicates, "You knew what the danger was. You were completely informed."

"No. Don't go blaming this on me, or on him," Robin growls, "That's not fair."

"So then where should we place the blame?" Regina crosses her arms petulantly, a stance so low even for her.

The trainer throws his hands into the air. "Maybe on the man who let this slip in the first place?" He suggests heatedly.

"Oh, I intend to give Nottingham everything he has coming for him," Regina snarls, her dark orbs flashing dangerously, "I'm going to kill that man."

* * *

The control room is silent as its occupants do nothing but stand struck with terror at the sight of it all on the monitors. No one neither moves nor makes a sound.

Only one man weaves himself through the rows of computers and their stagnant workers, mind set hard on the task ahead. Furtive eyes flick about his surroundings, making certain that staff remain devoid of his attention. Then upon slipping from the room to steal down the vacant hallway and move into an isolated corner, he pulls out his phone once more and dials the number.

"It's me," Phillip Nottingham murmurs, head bowed in secrecy, "Yeah. It's done. It was messy, but the asset's out. She's loose."

* * *

 **Thanks for stopping by! Let me know what you think ;)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! Sorry it took a bit of a wait for this one! I just started my new semester at college, going into my junior year. It's gonna be a busy one, but I'm looking forward to squeezing in some writing here and there to keep me sane ;) Anyway, enjoy this next update, and let me know what you think!**

* * *

The line is long for Jurassic World's famous gyrosphere ride in the park's herbivore safari plains. The two scofflaw runaways, Henry and Roland, wait patiently for their turn in what Roland playfully mocks as the "large hamster ball". In the short period of time taking the monorail north to this attraction, the boys have come to feel a sort of kinship that stems from this particular circumstance in which they find themselves. While both sharing the exhilarating feeling of finally being on their own and the fact that they ran away, Henry and Roland fed off one another's excitement, making the pair to be quite the team.

"So what's it like having your dad be a dinosaur trainer?" Henry asks curiously to an impatient Roland who shuffles from foot to foot beside him.

Roland shrugs, kicking at a loose stone. He watches it roll a few inches away, stopping only when it hits the sneakered heel of an oblivious person two people down from them in the line. "It's cool," he says, looking towards the older boy. A slow grin appears across his lips. "Papa tells me all kinds of cool stuff, like how to make the dinosaurs listen to you. He says when I'm older, I can be just like him if I want." Roland smiles proudly.

"That's awesome," Henry remarks, returning the curly brunette's smile with a genuine one of his own, "I wish my mom had a cool job like that."

"But you said she's the boss of the entire park," Roland reminds, "That's pretty cool to me."

Henry shrugs a shoulder. "It's boring," he states in distaste, "It would be so much cooler if she was like, I don't know, working with the mosasaurus or something." He sighs before scoffing, "But she's too dignified for that."

Roland tilts his head. "Dignified? What does that mean?"

"I mean she's too proper and…clean. She wouldn't want to get her hands dirty, you know?"

"Papa gets his hands dirty a lot," Roland says innocently, "Sometimes he comes home and the whole front of his shirt and pants are dirty. And his boots track mud." He giggles at the mental image of his father coming into the home looking less than his usual debonair self.

Henry laughs. "Yeah, I bet Mom and he would get along real nice," he breathes with a sarcastic roll of his eyes.

Roland's eyes widen almost comically. "Do you think they would?" He gasps.

"No," Henry snorts, slightly perplexed upon witnessing the young boy's deflated look. What's gotten into him?

"Aww."

"Why 'aww'? You've never even met my mom, have you?"

Roland shakes his head, tossing his curls this way and that. "No," says he, "I don't think she's even met Papa. He doesn't talk about her." There's a slight pause before suddenly the boy gasps again. "What if she doesn't even know who he is?"

Henry tilts his head, highly confused. "So? The place is big. I wouldn't be surprised. I mean, it's not like she would have any time for him anyway."

"Hey!" Roland's eyes narrow, looking all offended. "Why not?"

But the older boy shakes his head, quick to correct himself. "No, no! I don't mean it like that. That's just her." He sighs, abruptly lowering his gaze towards the ground. "It's like she doesn't even have time for anyone nowadays."

Roland frowns. "Even you?" He asks, to which Henry stiffens and shakes his head in sudden disregard. The abrupt change in body language intrigues the young boy.

"Never mind," Henry mutters with a wave of his hand, "Forget I even brought it up."

"But you did," Roland points out, "Tell me."

"No, Roland," Henry says, giving the boy a stern look, "I said forget about it."

"But—"

"Next up!"

Henry blows out a sigh of relief, thankful to be saved just in the nick of time by the ride's operator. Immediately, the subject is dropped as the two boys make their way towards the open gyrosphere. Roland forgets the earlier conversation the second he slides in with a giant grin plastered to his face.

After being buckled up inside, the circular door is latched tightly closed, effectively sealing the two boys into the transparent shatterproof sphere. Once they receive the 'go ahead' by the operator, Henry takes command of the gyrosphere's joystick and presses it forward. Immediately the sphere slides smoothly, the hard glass exterior rotating forward as the wheels below carry them out into the open fields.

* * *

The short ride, via helicopter from the now ruined Indominus Rex's paddock, back to the park's control center, is tense. Though, tense is but a euphemism for what the atmosphere feels like in this small cabin of the ACU chopper. The air is frozen, ready to shatter to pieces like a thin sheet of ice, should anyone dare to even breathe in another's direction.

So Robin keeps his eyes focused forward towards the approaching center and its helipad. But also in his periphery, he carefully regards Regina's outward demeanor. The little movement that she dares to make says more than anyone blatantly flailing around panicked and in horror at what had just happened. Facial features rigid and with that long vein bulging from her forehead, the CEO sits as stiff as a doll. The only gestures she makes is that with her lower lip, which she keeps trapped tightly between her teeth, and the wringing of fingers hovering above her lap. Robin doesn't know whether or not to interfere on her evidently unconcealed dark thoughts. But he does worry that she'll end up at least with a bloody lip otherwise. However knowing her, a gentle admonition, though even with all the best intentions, is an act that would prove to be lethal. And the trainer would rather not die an unnecessary death. He'll pick and choose his battles. Because as for the moment, there are many.

The helicopter lands smoothly and all passengers sit as if in a daze while the rotor blades slowly come to a halt and the engine is cut, leaving everyone in a dead silence. It's Graham who makes the first move, clamoring out from the passenger front seat. Robin turns his head and looks to Regina. He swallows hard, feeling the need to voice something. While at the same time, he's not exactly sure as to what he should say. Strangely enough, the trainer's first instinct is to comfort the visibly anxious CEO. But before he can make up his mind and open his mouth, Regina is unhooking her seatbelt, unlatching the backseat passenger door, and sliding out, without so much as a look in his direction.

Heart heavy, Robin follows, keeping a healthy distance between himself and the brunette as they make their way from the helipad and down into the control center. Internally, the trainer finds himself amidst an inner civil war between being absolutely furious with Regina and feeling deeply sympathetic for the woman whom he knows has tried so hard to live up to her father's ambition only to have everything destroyed. But, perhaps all is not lost just yet. The Indo-Rex is loose, but there is still time for damage control. There is still hope.

However, all of Robin's desperately optimistic notions fly right out the window the moment Regina, Graham, and he walk through the doors of that center control room. The second the CEO steps through, activity ceases as all eyes shoot towards her. Distressed, revolting, and contemptuous, every single person stares Regina down, condemning her as if she had just committed some kind of immoral sin. And the humiliated, almost broken, look in the brunette's eyes as she took in everyone else's is enough to sink Robin's heart even further like a stone in water. Now, sympathy trumps anger. And more than ever, all the trainer wants to do is comfort. He wants to reach out his hand and draw her into his arms and tell her that everything will be okay, that it's not her fault. But again, like the fool he is, Robin does no such thing, only clenching his jaw tightly in deep turmoil—in fear of both his own emotions and of the CEO's, should he embrace her and make her feel even weaker in front of all her employees.

Of course, their anger towards her is irrational. But when in fear, there is a fine line between fury and fright. And what each worker doesn't know, is that beneath all of the anger and agitation is the terrified person looking up to their tenacious CEO for guidance and protection.

Robin watches Regina as she tries to keep herself composed, despite the murderous glares. Her lips only stay parted in horror for a moment at the scene before she pulls herself together, pries her eyes from David's wife Mary Margaret who sobs in the arms of one of the staff, and takes a deep breath.

"Everyone, remain calm."

Robin wordlessly follows Regina as she quickly descends the stairs to the control room floor. Standing behind the master terminal is Nottingham with his gaze nauseatingly righteous and fixed on the simmering brunette. He shouldn't look so confident, for Robin knows all too well that the scene that's about to unfold between Phillip and Regina could very well be nothing short than equivalent to the Indominus Rex encounter from before.

"Regina, I—"

"Save it," the CEO snaps.

"You know I did everything I could to—"

"I said 'save it'. This is all your fault."

Phillip glares at her. "I'm not the one who asked two men to walk straight into that paddock, am I?"

Robin watches Regina swallow hard. He knows very well that she's at her wits' end trying to keep it together. But then, Graham steps around her, facing the offended chief of security.

"It was my idea," the operations manager says nobly.

"And she was stupid enough to agree," Nottingham hisses, effectively making the younger man cower, Regina stare agape, and Robin's blood boil.

And that's just enough to have the trainer stepping forward, having no qualms now in taking action and putting an end to this ridiculous game of who's to blame. "That's enough," Robin barks, defending the still dumbstruck CEO. He glances towards Regina who stands stiffly, lips tight and cheeks red. "What matters now is the animal on the loose. And if we don't act quickly, she'll tear this island apart."

"And how exactly are we supposed to do that, when we don't even know where the hell it is or in what direction it's headed?" Regina questions after finding her voice. She pins Phillip with a deadly stare.

Nottingham raises his hands. "Just an oversight, remember?"

"An oversight that cost us all greatly, not to mention your job soon, if you don't turn that fucking tracker back on right now."

The chief of security sighs, shaking his head as if he's the victim in all of this. "Fine," he says, looking towards the computer screen in front of him, "Fine." He pulls out a flash drive and slides it into the USB port.

As Robin watches Phillip type in the code, he can't help but feel a rise in his own suspicion of the man. Upon glancing at Regina, the look he reads on her side profile says the same. However, he doesn't have time to contemplate it much before there is a beeping sound and a large blinking blue dot shows up on the main control screen's map.

"Looks like she's headed south. The paddock is four miles from the closest attraction and she's moving fast," Graham states, eyes narrowed at the screen, "I'll call for a park-wide alert."

"No, no!" Regina interjects quickly, her hand flying to grasp the manager's mid-flight as it travels up to his earpiece.

"Regina!" Robin protests.

The CEO whips her head around to glare at him. "No!" She repeats, "I will not let news of this incident travel beyond these walls. You all know very well of the repercussions should that happen."

"Regina, you can't be serious. This is a monster we're talking about here," Robin says, eyes wide with disbelief at the brunette's logic, "We have to warn people."

"True, but there is still time," Graham replies, swiftly coming to the brunette's defense. Robin can't help but glare daggers at the man. "Surely, this is something that the ACU can handle quietly."

"Quietly?" Robin challenges, his temper rising even further, "You have got to be kidding me."

"Robin!" Regina berates, "Are you seriously going to challenge every single thing we say?"

"Yes, because this whole thing is madness!"

With an acute roll of her eyes, the CEO turns her head from him, promptly choosing to ignore the trainer. "Graham?"

The man nods. "One thing that has kept this park running is its ability to deal with these types of situations. Back then, they didn't have the equipment that we do now. ACU can handle this."

"Don't count on it," Nottingham scoffs under his breath. Robin raises his brows at the utterance.

"What was that?" Regina demands, looking to the man who simply blinks at her.

Phillip shakes his head, snorting. "Nothing," he says, shooting her a haughty smirk, "Nothing."

It takes twenty minutes for the ACU troopers on call to suit up and prepare to subdue this prowling Indominus Rex. And in that time, Robin sits amidst anxious people in the control room, puzzled over the events that have happened thus far. He shares a look with Graham, a quiet mutual understanding of the confusion as to why the tracker was disabled in the first place. However, even with this suspicion placed on the park's chief of security, Robin knows that all attention would be turned towards the escaped Rex. It worries the trainer that such a distraction would give Nottingham the perfect opportunity to continue on with whatever he's planning. Robin can't help but feel that the dismantlement of the tracker is but the first step in a much larger scheme.

The trainer looks up at the master control screen, eyes widening at the shaking images of the cameras attached to the troopers' jackets as they march their way through the forest. "They're going after her with non-lethals?" Robin breathes, brows furrowing together.

Regina shakes her head. "We've got twenty-six million invested in this asset," she states, "We can't just kill it."

Robin shakes his head slowly, not being able to suppress hopelessness, not only for the men at risk but also for the brunette who can't seem to understand the absolute precariousness of the situation—or maybe she just simply denies it. But the trainer can't be certain of the latter. He wonders what it would take to change the mind of the brunette whom he knows to be one of the most stubborn he'd ever encountered. If it's not the carnage in the Indo-Rex paddock to shake her walls, then what?

"Regina, you need to call this off."

"Excuse me?!"

"You heard me," Robin snaps, his blue eyes flashing. "Call off this mission!" He persists, "Right now, I mean it, Regina. These men are going to die!" Beside him, Graham swallows hard, looking to the wide-eyed brunette for the command.

"You're not in control here!" Regina barks exasperatedly.

Robin watches in deep frustration as she crosses her arms, turning from him to gaze back up towards the screen.

"I admire your effort, pal." There's a sudden whisper in the trainer's ear, making him jump. He feels a hand clap his shoulder. Immediately, Robin shakes himself from the grasp. "I like how you're trying so hard to defend her and—I don't know—preserve her image or whatever," Nottingham continues beneath his breath. Robin glances towards the brunette who stands just a few feet away, thankfully unaware. With a frown, he turns his head back towards Phillip whispering in his ear like the seeming conspirator he is. "But the truth is, no matter how hard you try, she'll just keep digging herself an even bigger hole. So, take my advice before she brings you down with her. Give it up. It's really not worth it."

* * *

The plains are as tranquil as they should be. All is quiet and peaceful as Henry and Roland travel over the grounds. The gyrosphere carries the boys smoothly over the grassy terrain. From the triceratops, with its hard bony frill protecting its neck and its long pointed horns, lumbering towards a small bush; to the parasaurolophus, sporting a curved horn as an extension from the nose all the way out towards the back of its head, having a drink at the small watering hole; all the way up to the towering long-necked apatosaurus that shakes the trees from above; the sphere brings the boys nearly up close and personal with each of the species present in the area.

Safe behind the transparency of the glass, Henry and Roland take their time gawking at the un-extinct creatures. For they are a true sight to behold. Henry looks to Roland as the young boy can hardly keep himself buckled in his seat; his little nose pressed up against his side of the glass.

"Aw, I wish we could pet them. I want to know how they feel," Roland muses.

Henry smirks, shaking his head amusedly. "Just because they're herbivores and they only eat plants doesn't mean you can just walk right up to them," he says, "They're just as dangerous as the meat-eaters too, you know."

"Aww!"

"You know they probably feel like a lizard or something," Henry consoles, still continuing to smirk at the unsuspecting boy, "Go and pet an iguana or something, and you'll know exactly how it feels."

"It's not the same, though!" Roland huffs, crossing his arms. His petulant pout is adorable.

Henry laughs softly. "Look, I'm trying here," he breathes, "At least you get to see what they look like in real life." He lifts his head all the way towards the sky, staring up at an apatosaurus that stands just about a hundred feet away. It's neck is so long and head so high up that Henry has to squint into the sunlight to be able to see the dinosaur's face properly. "My mom really does have an amazing park, I'll give her that much," he murmurs.

"So what ever did happen between you two?" Roland asks, remembering the conversation from earlier, "You never told me."

Henry frowns, groaning at the fact that he must encounter this yet again. "It's not any of your business," he retorts, "Why do you think something happened anyway?"

"Because," Roland replies boldly, "I can just tell—the way you were talking about her before the ride. What gives?"

Henry shrugs. "Nothing," he answers, avoiding the young boy's gaze whilst he concentrates on moving the gyrosphere further into the valley. It's quiet for a moment as he hopes that Roland will drop the topic of conversation as quickly as he did the last time. But this time, there isn't much of a distraction, and the boy continues to stare at him with a curious and expectant look on his face. Henry sighs deeply. "Just, you know how moms are, you know?" He begrudgingly confesses, "All overbearing but at the same time never really having much time to actually spend with the kid. Well, at least mine is. I don't know about yours, but—"

"My mom died when I was a baby," Roland states softly, emitting a sad sigh as he looks away and towards the open view of the plains.

"Oh," Henry whispers. He's suddenly hit with a wave of both pity for the young boy and guilt for his own issues towards his mother when Roland doesn't even have one. He finds these feelings humbling, something he's not quite sure what to make of at the moment. "I'm sorry about that."

Roland simply shakes his head. "I don't remember her," he admits kindheartedly, "But Papa says she had brown hair just like me with some curls too. He said that she still loves me and is with me in spirit. But, I don't really get that."

Henry nods. "Yeah, it's hard to understand," he agrees. "My mom says the same thing about my dad. He left her when I was five because I guess things just got complicated. We never heard from him again." He looks to Roland, smiling gently. His brown eyes are kind towards the young boy. "I guess we both have just one parent all to ourselves, huh?"

"Yeah," Roland agrees before adding, "And Belle. She's my nanny for when Papa is away at work. She's nice and all, but I miss him when he's gone. And he's always working."

"That's like Mom too," Henry acknowledges, "She's working all the time and never has enough time for just me. And she expects me to listen to all her rules and follow them. But what's the point in doing that if she's never home, you know? I know running a whole business and park is a lot but—I don't know." The older boy sighs dejectedly. Out of the corner of his eye, he can see Roland look sympathetically at him with his little brown eyes wide and sad. It compels Henry to continue confiding in his unexpected friend. So he mutters, "She missed my poetry reading," with his voice hardly audible.

"Your poetry reading?" Roland inquires.

Henry nods. "I'm a bit of a writer, I guess you could say," he explains, "and I won a poetry contest for the state. So at the ceremony, I had to read my winning poem out loud onstage to everyone." Henry closes his eyes, shaking his head in dismay. "I was really excited because Mom seemed so proud of me when I told her the news. She kept going on about how it was such a great accomplishment. But on the day of the ceremony, she never made it to watch." He opens his eyes, rolling them annoyedly. "She said that whatever kept her away was urgent."

"That's awful," Roland replies, shaking his head. His blunt remark prompts Henry to laugh humorlessly at the young boy's blatant truthfulness.

"Yeah. Yeah, it is."

"I know Papa would never do something like that," Roland states.

"Mmm," Henry hums before chuckling humorlessly, "Then, I guess my mom could use a guy like him, right?"

Roland nods, grinning at the idea that suddenly brings that childlike delight (that's never too far away) back into his eyes. The young boy's mood is infectious and immediately lifts the melancholic cloud that had settled within the sphere. It sets another welcoming smile back onto Henry's features. The reason for Roland's keenness on the idea of his father and Henry's mother meeting (along with the sadness that they haven't met from the conversation before) starts to dawn on the older boy.

However, the moment only lasts shortly before suddenly there's a crackling in the radio system's speaker, and the screen on the small dashboard between them lights up. Henry stops the gyrosphere.

"Due to technical difficulties, all our exhibits are now closed. Please disembark and return to the resort."

At the announcement, Roland is immediately sinking into his seat, a deeply disheartened look dimming his features. "We've only been out here for fifteen minutes," he whines sadly.

Henry shakes his head at the screen. "Nah," he counters before looking towards Roland. A more deviant smirk spreads his lips. "We can stay out for a little longer."

"But they just said to go back," Roland reminds.

"I know, but we can just a few more minutes," Henry insists, "Don't worry. We'll be just fine." He points towards a more shaded part of the valley, towards a cluster of trees. "See? We haven't even explored that part yet." Roland shoots him a skeptical look, however the older boy can tell that he is fighting back yet another enthusiastic grin. "We'll just have a look and then be back before they realize anything. And if they do, remember I'm the boss's kid, so they won't give us trouble. It'll be all good," he reassures, once more urging the gyrosphere into action.

"Okay," replies Roland who now can't help but beam at him. "Let's go!"

* * *

The whole control room stands silent, listening to the screams of the troopers as they scramble in vain to try and take down the Indominus Rex. Feeling the most twisted version of a dejá vu, the entirety of the staff along with the operations manager, chief of security, CEO, and trainer, watch in horror at the events unfolding before them. For Robin, the experience is all the more worse. It's one thing to be one of the poor near-helpless people running for their lives. But to see it happening as a witness, knowing that exact fear that they're all experiencing, and knowing that there's absolutely nothing that can be done, is something completely different. The knowledge that something could have been done to prevent this, to prevent all of this, just makes it even worse. Oh how Robin hates it when he's right. He's not able to help the burden of guilt that overtakes him. He should've pushed harder in favor of calling off the mission. He should have done something, anything, to prevent more lives being lost. But at the same time, he can't stifle the unadulterated and almost hateful rage that burns like an inferno beneath his skin for the woman who continues to turn a blind eye, making her all the more responsible for those lives lost. Surely, this is not the Regina that Robin remembers. The woman that Robin remembers would not be so foolish as to risk more lives to capture this monster with non-lethal weapons. Surely, the lives of her employees are worth far greater than the money wasted on a rampant beast, this science experiment gone horribly wrong.

"Evacuate the island," Robin states, finally bringing himself to stare at the wide-eyed, shaken CEO. How many times is she to witness the carnage before she can come to her senses? Was once not enough?

Regina gazes at Robin. And what he sees so clearly in her dark orbs, a terrified and almost heartbroken expression, gives off an innocence that puts him right back on the steps of her student apartment—that moment he said goodbye. It's enough to soften the anger that rages inside. But, only slightly, in this tug-o-war of emotions.

"We'd never reopen," she whispers out.

"Regina, I can't believe you would even consider dragging this out, keeping everyone including yourself in danger. This has already gone on for far too long."

"Do you really think that my father would wish all of this to go to waste, for the park to be seen as yet another failure?" Regina fires back.

"But it already has. And now, people have died, which I'm sure is exactly the opposite of what your father intended." Robin groans, furiously tugging on his hair. "Are you really willing to risk having even more blood on your hands? Now you have live ammunition ready for use in emergency situations. You have an M134 machine gun in your armory. Put it on a chopper, and obliterate this thing! Because that thing out there, that's no bloody dinosaur." He fervently shakes his head. "Raised in captivity and in complete isolation, seeing people, guns, all this, for the first time—she will kill anything that moves. She's intelligent, and fast."

The CEO glares at him. "I will not turn this island into a war zone."

"You already have!" Robin snarls, "The moment you authorized its creation, you have. You need to step up and do what needs to be done, or really, you _will_ lose everything and not just the park."

Regina blinks at him, clearly affected by his words, which hold the harsh truth. But Robin continues to stare her down, telepathically willing her to make the right judgment call for once—to shut down the park, and rid it of this ungodly creation for once and for all. However, all that leaves her lips is the curt, "Mr. Locksley, if you aren't going to help us, there is no reason for you to be here."

"Why?" Robin shoots back as red begins to blur his vision, his patience having finally worn thin, "Because I'm the only one making sense? Because you know that I'm right? Maybe I make you feel uncomfortable, make you realize that you and your whole crew, the lot of you, fucked up! I'm not the one so blinded by my own ego that I decided to go and make my own fucking dinosaur."

With that, he's storming past them and weaving his way through the throng of computers towards the exit, leaving behind the entire room speechless and the CEO with cheeks a profound shade of red and her form shaking with anger and deep humiliation yet again.

And the last thing he hears before he slams the door closed, after all that he had just said, is simply the issue for the closure of all attractions only north of the resort.

The sun is blinding when Robin steps back out into the bustling Main Street. His mind has made the decision: get Roland and get off the island. Because if nobody is going to listen to what he has to say, to his words that could potentially save all of their asses, then there is no use in trying; not when he has his own son whose safety is of the utmost importance. It's with that thought that the trainer is then pulling out his cellphone, though immediately frowning the minute he sees several missed calls from the exact person he'd intended to dial.

"Robin, fuck, I'm in so much trouble…"

"What?!" Robin exclaims as his footsteps halt right in the middle of the busy street. "What do you mean, John, what's going on?"

"It's Roland, he must have taken off. I've been trying to find him all morning!"

"Bloody fucking hell!" Robin curses, raising a hand to his forehead. "Where have you searched?"

"All of the attractions north," John answers, "He's nowhere to be found. I'm about to head south."

"No! No, stay up there in case he comes back. Keep looking, restricted areas, everything. I'll look around Main Street… Bloody hell John, I told you to never let him out of your sight."

"I know, but he must have taken off when we were dealing with the raptors. He was gone when I got back to the bench. I've been trying to call you!"

Robin groans, bringing his hand down from his forehead to pinch at the bridge of his nose. He screws his eyes shut. "I know, I know. Just, find him. And keep me updated." Without another word, he's cutting the call and shoving the cell back into his pocket.

Heart now racing, the trainer jogs off in the direction of the nearest attraction, Tyrannosaurus Kingdom, all the while interrogating any and every staff on the way if they have seen a lone boy of age eight, short, and with curly brunette hair—as if Roland's the only one.

* * *

In deep disgruntlement, tourists shuffle towards the exits of each attraction at and north of the Visitor's Center. It's the typical scene whenever there's some sort of inconvenience. There's groaning, complaining, unhappy tourists demanding refunds, impatient children whining to their equally irritated parents. In the Mill's Creation Laboratory, the situation is no different. Though, as visitors file towards the observation room exit, the CEO of the park pushes past with purpose to get inside like a fish moving upstream. Offering small apologetic smiles that don't quite touch her eyes, Regina moves briskly towards the lab's restricted area. That is, the area behind the glass observation windows in which the real creators of the park sit hard at work in their research to better improve their groundbreaking techniques in gene modification.

At the very rear of the lab, the scientists' chief geneticist locks up a case of preciously preserved dinosaur DNA. He looks up from the chest's keypad just in time to see the brunette make her way into the room. With one of those furtive smirks, so characteristic of him and his guileful personality, the short man rubs his palms together as he stands, carefully eyeing Regina's dour demeanor.

"Ms. Mills," Dr. Gold purrs as she steps through the glass door, "What can I do for you?"

"The Indominus Rex," Regina declares, "I need you to tell me what the hell it is that you made."

Gold chuckles, shaking his head. "You know I'm not at liberty to reveal that information. Genetically modified animals are known to be unpredictable."

"It has killed people, Gold."

The man dips his head. "That's unfortunate." When he looks back up at Regina, his unapologetic smirk returns. He steps forward, bringing himself to stand before her, a bit too close for comfort.

But the CEO stands her ground, her eyes set hard upon his scheming features. "You're a bastard," she growls.

"Oh!" The imp can't help but laugh mirthlessly, "Why do you always have to assume that I'm the bad one in this?"

"Because I know you. You're always up to something. And right now, that smirk you're wearing just gives me all the more reason to suspect."

"Regina, Regina," Gold sighs, "Why do you have to do this? Maybe if you stop accusing me for once, you'll realize that I'm here for your own good—like I've always been." He lifts a hand to gently brush the backs of his fingers against the brunette's warm cheek. He's not able to hold back a smile as he sees a visible tremor run through her.

Regina's breath hitches at the coldness of his touch as she suppresses the shiver. It's now that she finally takes a step back, drawing herself up even taller in a vain attempt to remain strictly aloof and professional. "Just tell me what you know of the Rex, starting with why the asset hid from thermal technology, and maybe I'll reconsider you to be otherwise. "

Gold simply shakes his head, moving to lean up against a desk. "I used strands of DNA from tree frogs to help adapt it to a warmer climate. Perhaps their ability to modulate their infrared output has carried over."

"It's highly intelligent, like it was planning to escape by hiding from the cameras, like it made us think it had escaped." Regina frowns.

"We used part of velociraptor DNA to give her that enhanced intelligence," Gold replies, "But we still have yet to perfect it—to control it."

"It's a monster, Gold." Regina shakes her head. "How could you—"

"How could I?" Gold interrupts, standing once more, "What do you mean 'how could I'? You asked me to create this new creature. You told me the park needed something exciting, something terrifying."

Regina stiffens. "But what it's doing, what it has done. And the fact that you can't control it—"

"You know you can't have an animal with exaggerated predator features without the corresponding behavioral traits."

Regina growls aloud, raising a hand to fist her hair at the crown of her head.

"I really thought better of you, Regina," Gold patronizes, prompting the CEO to viciously curl her lip. "You should know this—"

"And I know that you know _exactly_ what you were doing," Regina hisses, approaching the little man with the grace of a feline, "Make no mistake. You _will_ pay for what you've done."

She stares down the bridge of her nose. If looks were as deadly as that of the Indo-Rex's bite, Gold would be a goner. But of course, the friction doesn't last long. For it's then that Regina's cellphone suddenly rings, slicing through the tension between her and Gold, as she reaches into the pocket of her suit jacket with a huff.

"This isn't over," Regina bids warningly before answering her cell. "What?"

"Regina, what the hell?!" Yells the breathless voice on the other end. It's so loud that the CEO has to hold the phone slightly away from her ear. "I've been trying to call you all fucking morning!"

Regina glares into the receiver. "I've been busy," she snaps before sighing, "How's Henry?"

"That's why I've been trying to call you, Regina. Henry's missing. He ran out on me!"

At this, Regina's eyes bulge as her heart suddenly stops, blood running cold and sending a chill down her spine. "What?" She whispers.

"Yeah, I've been trying to look for him all over the place!"

"No," Regina chokes, "No. Henry would never just run away. He knows better than that!"

"Well he has, Regina. And I hate to say it, but if you hadn't—"

"What, Emma, what? What is it that I hadn't done?" Regina bites, not quite able to believe that her assistant would chose this exact moment to berate her about her decisions. Lord knows that today she has had enough of that already. The CEO shakes her head as she can hear nothing but a strained groan on the other end of the line in response to her vitriolic reply. "Just find him," she then growls through gritted teeth before cutting the call and forcefully shoving her cellphone back into her pocket.

With one last glance at the imp who had simply been watching the whole time, sporting a look as if to say "oh well, that's what you get" written across his face, Regina is bursting back out through the doors of the lab, followed by those of the observation room, and jogging down the hall.

* * *

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